a. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed toward safety equipment for use at construction sites. More specifically, it relates to a modular railing system to enhance safety at construction sites.
b. Background Art
It is well known by those in the construction industry that, while construction is taking place at commercial and residential building sites, certain safety measures must be taken to protect the workers moving around the building site. In particular, until the structure itself is framed, when uncontained horizontal surfaces are present, there is a need to protect those persons working near the edges of the floors and on staircases.
Further, the regulations of the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States government require the placement of safety railings along the edges of floors and staircases. To satisfy OSHA regulations, these safety railings must be able to resist certain minimum lateral loads without becoming permanently deformed or destroyed. For example, it is a requirement under certain circumstances that the safety railing be able to support a load of 200 lbs. in any outward or downward direction, without component failure. Similarly, kick rails or toe boards must, under certain circumstances, be able to support a load of 50 lbs. in any outward or downward direction.
Although other safety railing systems have been constructed and used in the past, there remains a need for a modular railing system that provides adequate safety to construction workers, including construction workers using stilts.
It is desirable to be able to construct a railing system that is modular and relatively easily tailored to meet a variety of physical circumstances present at job sites.
Accordingly, it is an object of the disclosed invention to provide an improved modular railing system for construction sites.
In a first preferred form, the modular railing system is used for railing a substantially-horizontal surface. In this form, the invention comprises a plurality of rails, the rails being grouped into rail sets, each of the rail sets comprising at least one rail, and each rail having an elongated portion extending between two connector portions. A plurality of baluster units support the plurality of rails, and each baluster unit comprises a plurality of rail supports spaced vertically along the baluster unit and affixed thereto. The baluster units according to the first preferred form comprise a baluster pair including a first baluster and a second baluster, the first and second balusters being anchored to the substantially-horizontal surface in close proximity to each other; a plurality of double barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the first baluster, each of the double barrel supports that is affixed to the first baluster having a corresponding double barrel support spaced along and affixed to the second baluster, wherein each of the double barrel supports on the first baluster together with its corresponding double barrel support on the second baluster collectively comprise a double barrel support pair; and a plurality of tie pipes, each tie pipe connecting the double barrel supports of one double barrel support pair.
Each baluster unit according to a first alternative form comprises an inverted-U-shaped main baluster tube having first and second legs, each leg having a lower distal end that has a plurality of retention slots formed therein, the distal ends of the legs being affixed to an elongated base plate that includes an integrated short kick rail having lateral ends that are accommodated by two of the plurality of retention slots, wherein the base plate is anchored to the substantially-horizontal surface; and a plurality of single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the first leg, each of the single barrel supports that is affixed to the first leg having a corresponding single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the second leg, wherein each of the single barrel supports on the first leg together with its corresponding single barrel support on the second leg collectively comprise a single barrel support pair.
Each baluster unit according to a second alternative form comprises a first vertical baluster tube and a second vertical baluster tube, each of the first and second balusters tubes having a lower distal end, each of the lower distal ends having a plurality of retention slots formed therein, and each of the lower distal ends being affixed to a shared base plate that is anchored to the substantially-horizontal surface; at least one elongated web rigidly connected between the first and second baluster tubes, wherein each elongated web has two longitudinal edges and two lateral edges, wherein a first of the longitudinal edges is connected to the first baluster tube, and a second of the longitudinal edges is connected to the second baluster, and further wherein one of the lateral edges is affixed to the base plate; and a plurality of single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the first baluster tube, each of the single barrel supports that is affixed to the first baluster tube having a corresponding single barrel support spaced along and affixed to the second baluster tube, wherein each of the single barrel supports on the first baluster tube together with its corresponding single barrel support on the second baluster tube collectively comprise a single barrel support pair.
Each baluster unit according to another alternative form comprises an elongated web having first and second longitudinal edges and two lateral edges, wherein one of the lateral edges is affixed to a base plate that is anchored to the substantially-horizontal surface, and wherein at least one retention slot exists through the elongated web adjacent to the lateral edge that is affixed to the base plate; and a plurality of single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the first longitudinal edge, each of the single barrel supports that is affixed to the first longitudinal edge having a corresponding single barrel support spaced along and affixed to the second longitudinal edge, wherein each of the single barrel supports on the first longitudinal edge together with its corresponding single barrel support on the second longitudinal edge collectively comprise a single barrel support pair.
Each baluster unit according to yet another alternative form comprises at least two elongated webs, each having first and second longitudinal edges and two lateral edges, wherein one of the lateral edges of each elongated web is affixed to a base plate that is anchored to the substantially-horizontal surface, and wherein at least one retention slot exists through the elongated webs adjacent to the lateral edges affixed to the base plate; first and second narrow web strips, wherein the first narrow web strip is perpendicularly affixed to the first longitudinal edges of the elongated webs, and the second narrow web strip is perpendicularly affixed to the second longitudinal edges of the elongated webs; and a plurality of single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the first narrow web strip, each of the single barrel supports that is affixed to the first narrow web strip having a corresponding single barrel support spaced along and affixed to the second narrow web strip, wherein each of the single barrel supports on the first narrow web strip together with its corresponding single barrel support on the second narrow web strip collectively comprise a single barrel support pair.
Each baluster unit according to another alternative form comprises a first vertical baluster tube and a second vertical baluster tube, each of the first and second balusters tubes having an upper distal end and a lower distal end, each of the lower distal ends having a plurality of retention slots formed therein, and each of the lower distal ends being affixed to a shared base plate that is anchored to the substantially-horizontal surface; first and second web sections, the first web section being rigidly connected between the first and second baluster tubes adjacent to the lower distal ends of the baluster tubes, and the second web section being rigidly connected between the first and second baluster tubes adjacent to the upper distal ends of the baluster tubes, wherein each of the first and second web sections has first and second lateral edges and two longitudinal edges, wherein the first lateral edges are connected to the first baluster tube, and the second lateral edges are connected to the second baluster tube, and further wherein one of the longitudinal edges of the first web section is affixed to the base plate; and a plurality of single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the first baluster tube, each of the single barrel supports that is affixed to the first baluster tube having a corresponding single barrel support spaced along and affixed to the second baluster tube, wherein each of the single barrel supports on the first baluster tube together with its corresponding single barrel support on the second baluster tube collectively comprise a single barrel support pair.
Each baluster unit according to still another alternative form comprises a first vertical baluster tube and a second vertical baluster tube, each of the first and second balusters tubes having an upper distal end and a lower distal end, each of the lower distal ends having a plurality of retention slots formed therein, and each of the lower distal ends being affixed to a shared base plate that is anchored to the substantially-horizontal surface; a first web section rigidly connected between the first and second baluster tubes adjacent to the lower distal ends of the baluster tubes, wherein the first web section has first and second lateral edges and two longitudinal edges, wherein the first lateral edge is connected to the first baluster tube, and the second lateral edge is connected to the second baluster tube, and further wherein one of the longitudinal edges of the first web section is affixed to the base plate; an X-shaped structural support member rigidly connected between the first and second baluster tubes adjacent to both the lower and upper distal ends of the baluster tubes; and a plurality of single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to the first baluster tube, each of the single barrel supports that is affixed to the first baluster tube having a corresponding single barrel support spaced along and affixed to the second baluster tube, wherein each of the single barrel supports on the first baluster tube together with its corresponding single barrel support on the second baluster tube collectively comprise a single barrel support pair.
In another preferred form, the present invention comprises a device for adding an additional rail to a top of an existing modular railing system. In this preferred form, the device comprises a plurality of baluster extensions, each of the extensions having an upper end and a lower end, wherein each of the lower ends is tapered to fit into an upper end of a corresponding baluster, and further wherein a substantially horizontal hole extends through the tapered lower ends of the extension, and corresponding holes extend through upper ends of the balusters, wherein the holes align to receive a fastener when the baluster extensions are in place in the upper ends of the balusters.
In an alternative form of the device for adding an additional rail to the top of an existing modular railing system, the device comprises an extender bar. The extender bar comprises a main bar that is bent into a configuration having two downwardly-extending legs, each of the legs having an upper end and a lower end, wherein a single barrel support is affixed to each leg adjacent to its upper end, and wherein each of the lower ends of the legs is tapered to fit into an upper end of a corresponding baluster, and further wherein a substantially horizontal hole extends through the tapered lower ends of the extender bar legs, and corresponding holes extend through upper ends of the balusters, wherein the holes align to receive a fastener when the extender bar is in place in the upper ends of the balusters.
In another preferred form, the invention comprises a modular railing system for railing a staircase. In this form, the invention includes a plurality of staircase rails, the staircase rails being grouped into rail sets, each of the rail sets comprising at least one rail, each staircase rail having an elongated portion extending between a first connector portion and a second connector portion, wherein the first connector portion forms a first relative angle with the elongated portion, and wherein the second connector portion forms a second relative angle with the elongated portion, the second relative angle being different from the first relative angle; and a plurality of baluster units for supporting the plurality of staircase rails. The railing system for railing a staircase may also include a stair rail adjuster, the stair rail adjuster comprising a rail support having an internal cross-sectional configuration; and a longer cylindrical piece affixed to the rail support and having an external cross-sectional configuration designed to be slippingly accommodated by the internal cross-sectional configuration of the rail support.
In still another preferred form, the modular railing system of the present invention comprises a plurality of staircase rails; a plurality of balusters for supporting the plurality of staircase rails; and a finished-stair-tread adapter. The finished-stair-tread adapter comprises a baluster mounting member; a tread plate having a first plurality of slip nuts slidingly mounted therein, each slip nut of the first plurality of slip nuts having a fastener hole through it; and a riser plate having a second plurality of slip nuts slidingly mounted therein, each slip nut of the second plurality of slip nuts having a fastener hole through it.
In another preferred form, the present invention comprises a clamp-on railing system for railing a staircase having stringers or a pan staircase. This clamp-on railing system comprises a plurality of staircase rails, the staircase rails being grouped into rail sets, each of the rail sets comprising at least one rail, each staircase rail having an elongated portion extending between a first connector portion and a second connector portion, wherein the first connector portion forms a first relative angle with the elongated portion, and wherein the second connector portion forms a second relative angle with the elongated portion, the second relative angle being different from the first relative angle; and a plurality of baluster and mounting bracket combinations for supporting the plurality of staircase rails. Each of the mounting brackets comprises a C-shaped channel in which a plurality of large slip nuts are slippingly mounted, and each of the balusters has at least one mounting holes drilled though its lower end. At least one fastener is inserted through one of the mounting holes and fastened in a fastener hole through a center of a first one of the plurality of large slip nuts. The preferred form of the clamp-on system further comprises two L bolts, each L bolt being threaded into a large slip nut from the plurality of large slip nuts and threaded against an inner surface of the C-shaped mounting brackets to seat the corresponding slip nut firmly against inwardly-turned longitudinal edges of the C-shaped mounting bracket.
Other aspects, features, and details of the present invention will be apparent from reading the following description and claims, and from reviewing the accompanying drawings.